In surgical procedures trauma to the patient and damage to the tissue needs to be minimized as much as possible. To achieve this result surgeons try to keep incisions as small as possible when performing surgical procedures. However, it is necessary that the surgeon performing the delicate surgery have a clear view of the operating field. A variety of retractors are available to keep an incision open and provide a clear field of view of the operation. The retractor is inserted in the incision to hold organs, muscles, arteries and other tissue out of the way and provide a clear view of the spinal region being operated on. The retractor displaces only a small volume when inserted in the incision before it is opened, or “spread” to provide a clear view of the operating field.
However, a common problem with retractors is that no single length of blade is suitable for all patients. Therefore several different size blades must be provided to accommodate different patients. This requires a multitude of different blades being provided and sterilized for an operation. Also, when the retractor is placed in the patient, the surgeon may have to experiment with different length retractor blades until he gets the right length. This increases the length of the operation and the danger of increased trauma to the patient.
Telescoping blades may be adjusted or set in situ when the retractor has already been inserted. Blindly extending the blades after the retractor has been inserted can cause additional trauma as the blades may cut or otherwise damage organs, tissues, or muscles as they are pushed aside as the blades are extended, and may not retract the muscles completely. Thus, what is needed is a means of setting the depth of the blades before the retractor is inserted.